Still Searching
by Not What You Think
Summary: "They say high school is about finding yourself. So far, I'm still searching. I've been through one hellish year of high school and I'm about to embark on yet another. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lizzie McGuire."
1. Welcome to High School

They say high school is about finding yourself. So far, I'm still searching. I've been through one hellish year of high school and I'm about to embark on yet another. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lizzie McGuire.  
  
Now as I said before high school wasn't exactly enjoyable for me. For example, remember the way Kate acted in Junior High? Now multiply that.....by 100. And add in about 20 of her new upper-class friends. Fun, right? Come on, lets rewind and I'll show you what I mean.  
  
bFreshman Year: First day of Schoolb  
  
On the first day of high school I was ecstatic. Really. I woke up at  
about five in the morning to get ready.  
  
After showering and blow-drying my hair I got dressed in a flowing black shirt with a diamond design, and dark blue jeans. I curled my hair into perfect ringlets and slipped a black headband on.  
  
Once I got out of the bathroom I took one look in my full-length mirror, decided I looked like I belonged in fifth grade and turned right back around to the bathroom.  
  
This time I put on a blue scoop neck short sleeve shirt and a jean skirt. I straightened my hair and then re-curled it so it fell in waves. I pulled my hair into a half ponytail and slipped on blue sandals. For jewelry I had a silver necklace and matching bracelet. A delicate anklet went around my ankle.  
  
Ridiculous, right? Looking back now I can't believe I put that much time and effort just to get ready for school.  
  
Anyway, all of that getting ready took three hours. Great, now I had twenty minutes to get to school.  
  
Luckily, my mom was ready to drive me to school. On the downside the entire way there she talked with tears in her eyes how here little Lizzie was growing up.  
  
Frankly, I was happy when we reached Hillridge High.  
  
I stepped out of the car, ignoring my mothers request for a kiss good- bye, and set off across the sloping green grass in front of the school.  
  
When I reached the office I spotted a sign pointing freshman in the direction of the student center, better known as the cafeteria. I walked in that direction looking for a friendly face to talk to.  
  
Friends. Miranda and Gordo, are fabulous friends. Honestly. I couldn't ask for two better best friends, but sometimes it seems like we never branch out. Whenever we go somewhere it's just Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo. Never anyone else. The result of this is I have two great best friends, but barely any other friends.  
  
I stepped inside the student center and saw long lines. I joined the 'I-P' line and looked in the surrounding lines for Miranda and Gordo. I saw neither of them. Three middle schools feed into Hillridge High School. That meant triple the students in the freshman class. I barely saw anyone I recognized from Junior High.  
  
Finally I reached the front of the line. I stepped up to the table.  
  
"Hi!" I cheerfully greeted the dumpy looking woman behind the table.  
  
"Name." She said dully, not even looking up.  
  
"Lizzie McGuire. I mean Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Lizzie." I replied.  
  
The woman glanced at me as though I was an idiot. "McGuire. Here is your map of the school, locker combination and schedule. Welcome to Hillridge High School." She said in a monotone.  
  
I started to open the envelope containing those items when a tall guy came up behind me and roughly pushed me out of the way.  
  
"Watch it." He suggested, and turned toward the woman. "Kevin Jasons." He said to the woman.  
  
I stared at him, open-mouthed, appalled at his rudeness. Finally I turned away. 'Welcome to high school.' I thought to myself. 


	2. Top of the World

After I exited the student center I walked through the halls still trying to find Miranda and Gordo. Finally I gave up, and looked at my schedule.  
  
Homeroom: Davis, Fran  
  
First Period: Adv. Algebra, Murray, Penny  
  
Second Period: Spanish I, Lawson, Barbara  
  
Third Period: World History, Smith, Jay  
  
Fourth Period: Biology, Holton, Chris  
  
Fifth Period: Lunch  
  
Sixth Period: Yearbook, Kingston, Rachel  
  
Seventh Period: English, Lars, Jayne  
  
Yes, I joined the yearbook staff. Knowing that most likely Kate will be there to ruin every opportunity I would have to put a picture of me or my friends in it. This year I didn't want to fight to have a picture of me in the yearbook. When I look back on my high school career I at least want it to appear like I was popular and involved. Even if I'm not.  
  
There was also a map attached, showing where all my classes where. I looked at my locker combination. It was on the exact other side of the school from my homeroom.  
  
Noticing I had forgotten to put on my watch, I stopped the girl next to me and asked for the time.  
  
She flipped her shiny brown hair over her shoulder, looked at me in disgust and said, "Can you tell time?" and pointed over my shoulder.  
  
I turned around and there on the wall was a digital clock reading 8:16. I didn't even bother to point out that you don't need to know how to tell time to read a digital clock.  
  
I glanced down on my map and started off towards what I hope was my homeroom. Right as I reached the door that I thought was my homeroom, the bell rang. Quickly I threw open the door to find a class full of upperclassman. Just as quickly as I opened the door, I slammed it again. Looking back down on the map I realized my homeroom was actually the room next door. I opened that door and slipped inside while the class faced the flag and said the Pledge of Allegiance.  
  
I walked over to an empty desk and scanned the classroom. I saw Brooke Baker in a corner with some of her friends, and Gordo!  
  
I kept on trying to make eye contact with Gordo as the teacher took roll, and then began the usual speech about need 50 forms back by Thursday. Finally she said homeroom only lasts for 15 minutes a day and that we can socialize for the remaining three minutes. As soon as she turned back to her desk, I grabbed my purse and walked over to Gordo's seat.  
  
"Gordo!" I exclaimed, "I've been looking everywhere for you, I have *not* been having a good morning! Anyway can I see your schedule?" I said this all very fast.  
  
Gordo looked at me in mild amusement, as he was used to my mile-a- minute mouth. He opened a folder and handed me his schedule.  
  
As I examined it he said, "Don't you remember, we were all supposed to meet on the bus this morning."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but I took, like, so long getting ready this morning so my mom took me." I replied. "Gordo, all of these class are advanced, or Pre-IB."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but hey, at least we have homeroom and Spanish together." He said, not sounding too concerned.  
  
"Wait, Gordo, we don't have lunch together?" I said, panicked.  
  
"Nope." He said, looking a little down. He brightened then pulled another sheet of paper out of his folder. "Here, I copied down Miranda's schedule. Take a look."  
  
I grabbed her schedule from his hand and began comparing it to mine. It looks like we had World History, Biology, Lunch, and English together. I smiled, at least I would have a friendly face in all but Yearbook, and Algebra.  
  
As soon as the bell rang, Gordo took off to some advanced class and promised to save me a seat in Spanish. I glanced at my map and took off to Algebra.  
  
Forty-five minutes later I walked out of that classroom, thoroughly bored, but happy. A pretty Oriental girl, named Anita, had sat next to me and we spent the whole hour making fun of how Mrs. Murray talked.  
  
Next was Spanish and right when I entered the room I saw Gordo smiling at me through his curls and gesturing for me to come over.  
  
I slid in the seat next to him, smiling, and gushing about how much fun high school is. He grinned back and when the teacher entered, speaking Spanish, we both stared blankly at her. I took one look at Gordo and then couldn't help but giggle at the confused look on his face.  
  
He looked back at me and started laughing too. Now, I think we made idiots of ourselves, but then, it seemed like the funniest thing in the world.  
  
When that class ended I hurried off to World History, excited to finally see Miranda.  
  
"Miranda!" I cried once I saw her.  
  
"Lizzie!" Miranda exclaimed back. We both started talking at warp speed about what had happened so far. And, being best friends, we both understood every word the other said.  
  
"High school rocks." I concluded.  
  
"Totally." Miranda agreed.  
  
We sat and passed notes and whispered through the next two classes. Finally, it was lunch, and Miranda said some girls she had met had asked her to sit with them.  
  
I looked worriedly at her. "Where will I sit?" I asked, kind of pathetically.  
  
Miranda grabbed my arm and rolled her eyes. "When they asked me to sit with them, they asked my best friend too!" She replied.  
  
I smiled and we both hurried off to the student center.  
  
Miranda's group of friends were fun and energetic. They were constantly telling jokes, and people kept on coming over to the table to say "Hi."  
  
Every time a person came over, one of the girls would say, "Oh, and this is our new friend, Miranda Sanchez." Miranda would smile, wave, and make some witty remark. Then, as an afterthought another girl would say, "Oh, and her friend Lizzie." I would too, smile and wave, never noticing that the girls didn't want me there.  
  
Once lunch was over Miranda and I headed to the hall together.  
  
"I think they really liked me!" I told Miranda excitedly.  
  
"Yeah." She said with less enthusiasm.  
  
We both went our separate ways and I headed to yearbook where I was greeted by, none other then, Kate Saunders.  
  
"I didn't know they let Losers on the yearbook staff." Kate snidely said to the upper-class girl next to her as soon as she saw me.  
  
The girl looked at Kate and then with fire in her eyes slowly said "They don't, I chose everyone on the staff. Are you implying I chose losers, Kate?"  
  
Kate blushed harder then I thought possible and began making excuses.  
  
I laughed as I walked by and made a mental note to tell Miranda and Gordo about this later.  
  
Finally it was the end of the day. It felt like the end of the best day of my life. Kate had been told off, I met a bunch of cool, new people, and I heard about a lot of things I wanted to join. I met Miranda and Gordo at the entrance and we all walked to the bus together. I smiled and waved to people passing us.  
  
I felt on top of the world. 


	3. High Before a Low

The first week of high school couldn't have gone better. I met several nice people and Kate was becoming more and more subdued.  
  
The next Monday morning I got dressed in khaki pants and a tight black sleeve-less shirt. I brushed my golden hair and let it hang straight down my back. Putting on subtle make-up and took one last look at my reflection and decided I was ready to appear to the world.  
  
Once I arrived at school I met Miranda and Gordo at the front entrance. We accompanied each other to our lockers and finally stopped at Miranda's locker where we stood and chatted.  
  
Through the flutter of chitchat the conversation somehow turned to, the one and only, Kate Saunders.  
  
"She's being so quiet." I commented  
  
"And less bitchy." Miranda agreed  
  
Gordo held up his hands, as though in surrender, "Whatever it is with her, I'm not complaining."  
  
I laughed and said, "For sure!."  
  
When I finished giggling I turned to face Miranda and behind her, coming down the hall with her usual crowd of girls behind her was none other then, Kate.  
  
Miranda spotted my gaze and followed it to Kate. "Speak of the devil," Miranda said softly to me, "Literally."  
  
I smiled and leaned against her locker, setting my backpack by my feet.  
  
"Miranda, that's not nice!" I began. "Although I can't disagree with it."  
  
Miranda's face spread into a smile and she leaned up against me, laughing.  
  
When I looked up I saw Kate walking past us, giving us a haughty glance.  
  
Next thing I knew, I saw Kate throw her hands in front of her and then fall to the ground, in a heap of pink.  
  
Immediately Miranda and Gordo erupted in laughter on either side of me.  
  
I, however, saw that Kate had tripped over my backpack and my heart went out to her, feeling it was partly my fault.  
  
I leaned down to offer her a hand, but she slapped it away, sending me off balance.  
  
"McGuire." She growled as she stood up, leaving me on the ground. "You purposely did that to humiliate me, because your so jealous!" Kate accused.  
  
I opened my mouth to apologize and explain, but then I closed it and fixed Kate with a glare of my own. I think I finally decided to stand up to Kate, instead of lying down and letting me walk all over me, like in Junior High.  
  
I put my hands on my hips and retorted, "No Kate, that was entirely, *your* fault. Maybe if you weren't such a klutz you wouldn't go walking into walls, like you just did."  
  
Kate gave me a surprised look and took a step back. She seemed to regain her confidence and said, "Why would I listen to you, your just a little loser freshman, with your only two dork friends."  
  
A few people had wandered over from their lockers to watch the cat- fight going on.  
  
I gave Kate a fake smile and responded, "Kate it may surprise you to know that your just a lowly freshman too, and the only friends you may have only like you for your money!"  
  
As soon as the words left my mouth I wanted to take them back, but I knew Kate deserved it.  
  
She gave me a disbelieving look and said something that sounded like, "Bitch" under her breath. As she turned away I saw she had regained her composure, but for one faint moment there I actually saw vulnerability in her features.  
  
As Kate strode away Miranda offered me a high five, and Gordo patted me on the back.  
  
"Lizzie!" Miranda exclaimed, "That was so unlike you!"  
  
"I know!" I agreed, "I can't even believe myself!"  
  
We started off to homeroom still talking about the incident.  
  
During yearbook the same day I saw Kate, with several upper-classman pointing at me and whispering. I held my head high and continued organizing the class lists I was holding.  
  
The next day, the rumors began. 


End file.
